Death Curse of Tartu

1966
Unrated
1h 28m

IMDb RATING

3.6/10

874

YOUR RATING

Four students on an archaeology assignment in the Everglades decide to throw a dance party on the burial site of an ancient Indian medicine man named Tartu. He returns from the dead, in the form of various animals, to take his revenge on those who desecrated his grave site.

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Horror

A group of student archaeologists venture into the Florida Everglades to look for fossils, but come across an area cursed by a Native American witch doctor.A group of student archaeologists venture into the Florida Everglades to look for fossils, but come across an area cursed by a Native American witch doctor.A group of student archaeologists venture into the Florida Everglades to look for fossils, but come across an area cursed by a Native American witch doctor.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

3.6/10

874

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Ed Tison
(as Fred Piñero)

Babette Sherrill

Julie Tison
(as Babbette Sherrill)

Bill Marcus

Billy

Mayra Gómez Kemp

Cindy
(as Mayra Gomez)

Sherman Hayes

Johnny

Gary Holtz

Tommy

Maurice Stewart

Joann

Doug Hobart

Tartu
(as Douglas Hobart)

Frank Weed

Sam Gunter

Brad F. Grinter

Explorer
(uncredited)

Director
- William Grefé
Writer
- William Grefé
All cast & crew
Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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Bug

Storyline

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Did you know

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Trivia
All the animals in this movie are owned by Frank Weed. Frank Weed is actually a animal handler. The scenes showing the penned animals are actually filmed on Frank Weed's property in Florida.

Goofs
At about the 30 minute mark, Tommy calls Ed Tison, "Mr. Gunter," a different character who is not in this part of the movie, having died in a previous scene.

Quotes
Sam Gunter: We'll set up over there, on the high ground.
Billy: I'm sorry, Mr. Gunter but as I told you before, I can't go beyond this point.
Sam Gunter: Don't tell me you believe those ridiculous stories about evil spirits and witch doctors that turn themselves into giant alligators and all that rubbish.
Billy: I'm sorry but I'm afraid I do.
Sam Gunter: Billy, I'd believe this of your grandfather, perhaps even your father, but you?
Billy: You forget; I am a Seminole.
Sam Gunter: You're an intelligent, educated man, you surely don't believe in ghosts?
Billy: I only know one thing, Mr. Gunter; that ever since I was a little boy, I have seen my people bring back the bodies of dead men who have invaded the sacred burial ground. I, myself, have heard the drums. And the voices of the ancient Indians that lie buried here.
Sam Gunter: This is hard to believe. It's hard to believe that...
Billy: Just listen. Look around you. Have you ever seen a hammock this quiet? You've been in the Everglades long enough to know that hammocks like this one are filled with birds and the countless sounds of living things that are native to these mounds.
Sam Gunter: What are you trying to say?
Billy: Look around. Can you explain why everything has left?

Connections
Featured in Late Movie 18: Death Curse of Tartu (1980)

User reviews44

Review

Featured review

Long lost Gilligan's Island episode?

A real B-movie, with its intentions being that much bigger than its miniscule budget, DEATH CURSE OF TARTU is a fun flick to watch. It's not inept enough to be considered a PLAN 9 FROM OUTER SPACE kind of movie but there are so many moments when it almost reaches the point of PLAN 9 that those who love really bad movies will like watching this one. For instance, the crocodile (or is it an alligator?) running after the screaming bimbo, who runs for several miles, only to have the croc right behind her. I didn't know crocs could run that fast. The living Tartu walking around with skin colored tights has to be seen to be believed. And the acting is uniformly bad. Hearing the drums every time Tartu started his killings reminded me of Gilligan's Island, which, in an odd way, sorta befits this unintentional comedy.

DEATH CURSE OF TARTU is available on Something Weird DVD and makes a great double feature with STING OF DEATH.